Playing on black, Dommaraju won the game after an under-pressure Ding made a rare mistake while in a solid position, game commentators observed.
The 18-year-old clinched the title with a final score of 7.5-6.5 – bringing to an end a fortnight where the pair’s games had been closely followed by chess fans worldwide.
Ding had faced pressure over his form all year, ever since winning the 2023 title.
The Chinese player had not won a long-format “classical” game since January and was seen to be avoiding other top-level competitions.
But he had put in a strong opening game and won the second-last match against Dommaraju, suggesting momentum.
Both players had two victories apiece and eight draws going into the final game on Thursday.
After hours of tight play, Ding on move 55 moved his rook to a fatally weak position that gave Dommaraju opportunity to capitalise.
Immediately recognising his mistake Ding slumped on the table.
“Ding seemed to have a risk-free chance to push for a win but instead liquidated into a pawn-down endgame,” Chess.com wrote in its post-game summary. “It should have been drawn, but Ding blundered as the pressure grew.”
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